Black Dyke Band

Conductor: Nicholas Childs

St. David’s Hall, Cardiff
25th January 2003

If you have ever heard of the film, "Being John Malkovich" you will come to realise that Black Dyke are hostages to their own fortune. There comes a time for certain people when being famous for your achievements is replaced by being famous for well, being famous, and so, just like John Malkovich, fame in the eyes of the general public is generated from being who you are rather than what you've done.

Just about everyone knows that Mr Malkovich is an actor of note, but for the life of them they couldn't name the last film he was in, whilst "The Legendary World Famous" Black Dyke (as the cover of the programme here described them) are a brass band whom most people in the audience at St. David's Hall know as the most famous in the world, but couldn't name the last contest they won. It is an enviable position to be in and only Grimethorpe Colliery as a band can match their unique ability to generate interest from a non banding general public to be able to fill a hall the size of this one. There weren't many empty seats left come 7.30pm on Saturday night.

The hostage problem of "Being Black Dyke" of course is that the people who came to this concert in Cardiff (predominately over 50, and activists of the Salvation Army and the Rotary Club) are those whose musical tastes border on the conservative and traditional, and will only turn out for a brass band concert safe in the knowledge that what they will be presented with is the type of music they like. Go off the beaten track a tad and they won't come back a second time. Black Dyke and Nicholas Childs therefore tread a fine line for premier events such as these in that they must both entertain the neutrals yet give themselves enough free rein to extend their own abilities and repertoire.

That they are able to do this year in year out is a fine achievement (they do over 60 concerts) and although some may grumble that there may be the odd repeat or two given by them by regular Dyke listeners, they have played over 300 different titles in concerts in the past year alone. The last time they were here was two years ago, and this time around there wasn't a repeat to be heard, even if the format of the concert was as familiar as ever – march, overture, soloist, test piece, big finish etc. Why change when it is successful eh?

There were though some changes in personnel with Ben Rapp (resplendent with David Beckham World Cup haircut) on the end chair in Roger Webster's absence and playing throughout the concert with a fine assurance and lovely clear tone, whilst Morvern Gilchrist bumped him up. There were a few other new faces around the stand as well but the overall sound of Dyke remained securely in place all night – big and fat in the middle and lower end and with strong robust cornets topping things off neatly.

After a slightly scrappy "Waltonian" to start they then gave an assured "Academic Festival Overture" by Brahms (not Berlioz as the programme stated) that featured some fine solo cornet and horn work throughout. That seemed to settle the band down and for the remainder of the concert there was admirable attention to detail in the ensemble playing to compliment a fine array of soloists.

David Thornton gave the recently aired multi euph feature "Bravura" a premier in its solo form, but even though he was quite awesome, the piece was a major disappointment. It was like listening to a performance by the Reduced Shakespeare Company – all the great Bard's best bits condensed into bite sized snippets; nice enough in its own way but froth and no substance none the less. Here was a great player performing a none too great solo.

Much the same could be said of Eric Ball's "Sinfonietta -The Wayfarer". Dyke will be releasing a new CD with many of the great mans less well known works on it later this year, and although this one has been performed at the highest contesting level before (1976 Nationals), it seems a dated work now, and at times it's themes are a touch pompous and strained. The band though gave it a super work out and made the most of the material with the solo lines in particular from the sop, solo cornet and flugel played with real command.

The first half ended with a cracking showcase performance of "Call of the Cossacks" – complete with super polished choreography and some solo and ensemble work of the highest class. The MD had made a few well-chosen cuts (the lazy, drunken trumpet soloist was missing as were a couple of those solo cameos), but the overall effect was still exhilarating to listen to. It is a corker of a piece that Dyke play with panache few can match.

The second half gave us much of the same with John Williams "Olympic Fanfare" ensuring the audience didn't fall asleep after their break time drinks, before Peter Graham was featured a third time with a selection from "Windows of the World". Again the band played it slickly with fine bass work, but this was music that never quite caught the ear of the audience. The good Rotarians of Cardiff it seems are not quite ready for a trip around the Amazon basin – give them the River Taff it seems and they are happy.

The soloist showcase though saw messers Baker, Doyle and Cook on excellent form and their contributions were very well performed and received. Brett Baker exhumed "Thoughts of Love" by Arthur Pryor – an Edwardian parlour song of a piece that seems to be based on the opening stanza of "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" and showed that he can whip these type of pieces off without breaking into a sweat. Not perhaps a piece to live long in the memory, but the standard of its execution did – although we wish Brett would drop the forced humour moments in the cadenza – it just ain't funny.

John Doyle followed up with a change in the programme from "Children of Sanchez" to "Concerto De Arunquez" and as he did all night, he played with a superb lyricism and deft musicality. Just like Brett, it was a class bit of playing of a piece that has seen better days.

Finally, Joseph Cool entertained royally – and with a superb technique on Monti's Czardas (this time with the humour in the right place). Some player this lad, and he has matured through careful exposure from within the band. He is now as good as anyone we have heard on the Eb tuba of late.

That left the band to give a fine rendition of "How Great thou Art" before they were joined by the brass forces of the Cardiff College of Music and Drama for a new version from the pen of Robert Childs of "1812". It is debatable whether we need another brass transcription of the piece, and the narrated opening (too much a copy of "Battle of Trafalgar") had something of a disregard for historical accuracy, but the new work is an immense improvement on the older pot boilers, with better use of tonal colour and delineated lead lines.

Why the need for additional reinforcements though was unclear (perhaps Napoleon needed them, but not so Dyke) and although visually it was a neat idea, it added nothing to the piece as a whole. Massed bands are massed bands however you dress them up. Still, it made the old war horse sound a bit different.

Given that the newly appointed Dr Childs was on "home ground" there was a couple of very neat encores, with Barry Forgie's "Lady Madonna" from the bands forthcoming "Beatles Album" a corker and one that should be a popular addition to the repertoire (Mr Forgie was in the hall, sat next to us as well and was delighted by the bands rendition), whilst "Toccata in D Minor" closed the proceedings in upbeat fashion.

All in all a fine concert for the good souls of South Wales by Dyke and a reminder of their continued ability to fill big halls by given an audience exactly what they want. Nicholas Childs was on top form all night as well, both with the baton (beautifully precise and with an economy of style that is a joy to watch) and also at the microphone where he was entertaining and informative from start to finish. Being Black Dyke is an arduous business, but the 2003 band seem to be enjoying it and this could signal a year of achievement on the contest stage – just to remind people that they are famous for winning things as well.

Iwan Fox

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